Anelie was beginning to think she had lost her mind.
They had been traveling three days up this magical path. Or so her memory told her. She was unsure. Anelie remembered stopping twice to sleep, setting up camp near a stream very like the one where they had started. They woke. They traveled. They rested. Conversations became rarer.
It was like she was in a dream.
Maybe she was dreaming. It would explain what she thought she was now sensing. Anelie glanced to the left again. While their mounts and wagons were traveling at a quick, but normal, gait, far from the road the trees seemed to blur. Almost as if...
"Do you see it?" Felek's question caused her to release a breath Anelie hadn't known she was holding. She nodded.
"Yes."
"I... I almost think it has been doing it from the beginning. That I've seen it, but NOT seen it. I can't explain."
She nodded again. Relief was flowing through her.
"I know. Me too. What's going on?"
"It's almost as if..." He paused. Anelie looked at him. The fuzz of new whiskers sprouted from his chin. Her own thoughts crystallized.
"As if the ROAD is moving through the forest."
"Yes!" He looked at her, excited. She heard the men riding behind them whispering to themselves. "It's like we're walking on a boat while it travels swiftly down a river!"
"A boat that keeps losing its stern and getting more room at the bow." Anelie looked back along the column. "That almost makes less sense than the other thing."
"None of it makes sense." Felek just shook his head. "Why haven't we seen it before?" Anelie glanced up at the bird, perched as it always seemed to be on the second wagon. Felek followed her gaze. "Ah, yes," he chuckled. "There is that."
"And we dare not question too much."
He glanced at her.
"For now."
****
It was approaching noon. Felek knew that, even as the forest canopy hid the exact position of the sun. Soon they would come to a clearing, an open space almost identical to the others. The stream would still be nearby. Another day, exactly like the one before.
His mind was clearer, at least. The mental fog came and went, like waking from a dream to find the dream was reality. Felek was now back in reality.
Maybe.
Anelie shifted in her saddle beside him. He glanced at the girl. If he wasn't with Ruta, and if the redhead had any interest in, well, males, Felek thought he might be falling for her. Certainly, he now thought of her as a friend. She was smarter than Ruta. More...
Felek laughed to himself. Best not to go down that road.
"Do you feel it?" Anelie asked. She looked at him, green eyes serious. Felek looked around, straightening in his saddle. What had she...
Something had changed.
The trees.
"The trees are different." He looked at her. She was now looking around as he had, slowly nodding.
"You're right." They both swept their gazes over the surrounding forest. The trees were older. Darker. Their branches spread over the travelers blocking out more of the sun. Even as Felek comprehended that, the world darkened. As if noticing the cause created the effect. The path, too, had changed. Gone was the grassy road that should not be. In its place lay a trail like any other, ground flattened by animals and intelligent beings alike. He frowned. "Should we stop?"
"Look up ahead."
Felek focused. The trail was leading towards a patch of light. A break in the trees.
"Finally." More of the mental fog lifted away, replaced by wariness. Anelie, too, seemed to share it. She looked behind them.
"Klocia! Cyla! Scout up ahead!"
"Yes, Lady!" Felek felt a chuckle rising up in him as the two rode past, long braids flapping behind them. At the start of all this, he would have thought Anelie considered the girls the most expendable. Now it was almost as if it was they who were the most trusted, and the men who were to be battle fodder. Well, most of them. Lewy would never be risked stupidly.
That would annoy his wife.
For a brief moment the two riders were framed by the gateway of light. They then vanished, moving into the world beyond. Felek looked behind, to the wagons. Ruta still seemed to be in a fog, her eyes even from here glazed over. Issa, however, was alert. His hands gripped the reins tightly, large eyes flicking around them. The solders riding between Felek and the wagons were wary as well. They were also excited. Felek thought he saw relief that, finally, something was happening. He lifted his eyes, looking through the first uncovered wagon to the one beyond.
The bird was gone.
"Halt!" He raised his arm, fist closed. Pulling hard on his reins, he set his mount running back down the column. He pulled up hard next to the second wagon, Jaromira pulling back on the reins as Adanya and Ofure regarded him with surprise.
"What's the matter?" Adanya asked. Bogdi appeared on the opposite side of the wagon, his hulking figure frowning on his mount. Felek pointed above her head.
"Where is Zywie?"
They all looked up. Both kids appeared behind their mother, hands grabbing her shoulders. Anelie brought her eyes back down to meet his, shocked.
"She's gone!" Anelie turned to her kids. "Did you two see her leave?"
"No!" Zuza shook her head violently. James just sat there, dazed. Felek sent his gaze at the surrounding forest, scanning the tree branches.
"Fuck."
"I agree," Anelie said, riding up beside him. "Looks like we've been abandoned."
"Should we..." Felek stopped himself. Both scouts were coming back. He raised an arm, signaling. "What news?" he yelled.
"A valley!"
****
Anelie looked at the world spread out before them.
The valley was long, a gouge cut out of the Earth. The ground dropped off sharply before her, falling downward towards a distant ribbon of blue and green. The river which cut through the valley floor was meandering, seemingly slow moving. She saw no white between its banks, no sign of rapids. Lush grasslands flanked it, the sparse trees looking to her like those that gave apples, pears. Her mouth watered.
"It's beautiful," Zuza said beside her. Anelie nodded, hand going to her niece's shoulder. It was. Not quite a paradise, but after weeks of travel...
Her eyes drifted north-west, following the river towards its unseen source. She sensed, somehow, that was their destination. The lake. The tower. Hope.
The sky above was clear, only the faintest wisp of clouds. Anelie raised her hand, shading her eyes as she looked up. She suddenly felt the heat, sweat bursting from her body. Days of cool forest travel must be making her body react to the now glaring sun. She grimaced, feeling the sweat trickle down her back under her armor. Things were going to get uncomfortable. It looked cool down by the river, though. She lowered her gaze, contemplating. They had to get down there...
"Sis."
Her brother's voice was unsure. She looked at Bogdi. He stood beside his wife, son James before him. Lifting a hand from his son's shoulder, Bogdi pointed upward.
"Look at the sun."
She looked up again. Yes. The sun. It was high, the shadows short. Noon. They'd take a break before going on.
Anelie heard Felek gasp.
Quickly turning to him, she saw her friend looking up, wide eyes. She frowned.
"What?"
"It's too high!"
"What do you mean?" She looked up again. The sun looked as it always did. Not that she paid much attention to the glowing yellow-orange ball, usually just using the shadows to tell the time...
Her gaze shot down to a nearby rock. Its shadow was short. TOO short, even for noon. Confusion flowed over her. She shook her head.
"What the hell?"
"How far did we travel?" Felek almost whispered. She shot him a look. The eyes that met hers were filled with wonder. "The farther north you go, the higher the sun is! Look at how HIGH it is! That's not three day's travel! It's not even three WEEKS! Where the hell are we?!" His gaze swung around them. Hers, too. She shook her head again.
"I don't understand. How can the sun be higher?"
"The world is a ball", Adanya said. She moved her hands to cup the sides of James' head, as if it was round. He giggled as her pinkies tickled his cheeks. "We live near the bottom. To those living around the middle, the sun looks to be right overhead, so the closer we get to there..."
Anelie raised a hand to her forehead. She understood, but understanding did not bring comprehension. Whatever.
"So," she said, "we magically traveled far ahead. We kind of already knew that. So, nothing's changed."
"There's a way to tell where you are using the sun," Felek said. "His Grace told me about it. You can tell how far north or south you are. You need a chart and a special device. I wish we had one."
"Why don't we?" Issa asked. Felek chuckled.
"It doesn't exist yet. His Grace has it on his list of things our smartest people have to re-create from his memory." His shoulders slumped a bit. "It's an incredibly long list."
Anelie caught his eye. She understood. Shanna had her own list, probably just as long. Much of what her love had told her over the years had just gone over Anelie's head. She should have listened. Paid more attention. Maybe if she had focused more on Shanna's old life...
Felek came up beside her. He had removed his helmet, hair already damp with sweat. Ruta held the discarded steel cap, free hand clutching his arm possessively. He nodded towards the wagons.
"It's too steep to get them down here. We have to find a path into the valley."
"Agreed." She looked again northwestward. "We should look upstream. I think that's the way we should go." Anelie then blinked, remembering. She looked at Ruta. "Is your necklace working again?"
"No." The blonde shook her head. "I still feel her, though. She's close."
"North?"
Ruta nodded.
"North."
****
They found a path a half mile up the valley. Felek stood at its start, eyes tracing the not quite gently sloping ground. You could not tell if the trail did, in fact, descend all the way to the valley floor. Nor could he accurately judge its steepness. He took a few steps onto it, the path descending parallel to the hillside. He almost thought it was a constructed road, eroded away from disuse. Anelie frowned beside him.
"Steep."
"Don't know if the wagons can do it." He looked back. The wagons were light, the four horses pulling each strong, but they would be holding the wagon back more than pulling it as they headed downward. "Could be dangerous."
"I don't want to give up the wagons." Anelie frowned in thought. Felek looked to the soldiers standing in small groups around them.
"Maybe we can detach the teams, have your men bring the wagons down. They'd have more control of the things."
"Hmm." Anelie looked down the trail again. "It's an idea."
"Let's scout it out first, though."
"Agreed."
****
The two slowly walked down the earthen ramp. It would have been better to send soldiers down, or even those who had driven the wagons for the past few weeks. They would have had a better feel for what the horses could handle. Felek wanted to do it himself. Just wanted to... well, spend some time away from the others. Even just for an hour. It was silly, he knew, but as soon as the wagons were out of sight he let out a content sigh. He'd enjoy the illusion of privacy while he could.
That Anelie walked beside him did not change his mood. If anything, it enhanced it. They had talked, often, but always with the knowledge that every word would be heard by all. Not that Felek had any secrets with regard to the woman. But, he could be more himself. Not consider the effect of his words on those around them before speaking.
"Be careful!" Ruta's voice drifted down to them. Anelie grinned at Felek.
"No!" She yelled back. He laughed.
"Now you've done it. She'll try and come down."
"Naw. Bogdi won't let her."
Felek glanced up. Ruta was leaning over the hillside, waving. He waved back. Having seen his acknowledgment, she disappeared from view.
"I'm starting to get worried about this road," Anelie said. She stopped. Felek could not help but nod. It was getting steeper. Worse, this part was narrower than was probably safe. Moving to the edge, he paced off the width.
"We have a whole two feet extra. I don't see why you're worried."
"You're right. That's more than enough." She smiled. "Let's go on."
****
"What do you think she's going to want from us?" Felek asked. "When we get to her, I mean."
Anelie shrugged, eyes going again to the point where the river appeared from behind a distant hillside.
"Don't know. I'm afraid Adanya's going to pay it, though. Whatever it is. Bogdi, too."
"I have orders from the King." She glanced at him. He nodded. "There is a... limit to what he will do, to save the kids. I'm supposed to prevent promises from being made he would have to honor."
"I think my brother knows that." She kicked a stone. It bounced down earthen ramp. "I... there's limits to what I'll let him do, too." She felt a hand on her shoulder. Anelie wished she had no armor, that mere fabric and not metal stood between their contact. Reaching up, she put her hand on his. "I love James. Loved all the children. But my brother is more important to me. To lose him..."
"I know."
They both separated their hands at the same moment. Anelie felt herself blush. She put her hand on the hilt of her sword, needing to do something with it. She sought a change of subject.
"What will you do after this?"
"Whatever His Grace asks." She glanced at him. Felek's expression was serious. "I owe my sister's life to him. I will follow him forever."
"Will you serve at the palace?"
"For a while, probably. He'll give me a position once Ruta and I are wed." He looked into the sky, towards the sun. "I want to travel. See more of the world. Maybe His Grace will make me an Envoy. From the training he has given me, I think it's likely." His gaze returned to her. "You?"
"I'm a soldier." She shrugged. "I will do whatever Shanna asks."
"What if..." Felek paused, stopping. Anelie jerked herself to a stop as well.
"What?"
"Damn."
"What if damn?"
"Look." He pointed ahead. She looked. A groan escaped her.
"Damn."
"Exactly."
The path doubled back on itself, continuing down parallel to what they had just traveled. The turn was abrupt, impossible to make at any speed. Neither would it be possible for a horse drawn wagon to maneuver onto the new path. Anelie leaned over the edge where they stood, looking at what she could now recognize as roadway.
"At least it does continue. If we came upon a cliff, the entire trail would be useless."
"We're about, what, not quite half way down?" Felek looked down, then up. He nodded.
"Two fifths, maybe. Should we continue on?"
"Do you want to?"
"Nope," Felek said. She nodded.
"Yeah. There's no point. The slope down towards the valley floor looks gentler, so as long as the trail gets that far we'll be OK. Now that we won't have the wagons hitched up, at least." She let out a sigh. "Ah, well. My men need their exercise."
****
The wagons were stripped of all the goods which could be transferred to horseback. Boxes were broken open, their contents wrapped in blankets and thrown over the mounts. Abandoning the wagons had always been a possibility, the packing done with that in mind. Only the large casks bought in Ofure's home town were too large to carry any distance. A few were only half full, but there was nothing to transfer the contents into.
Anelie held her mount Toria's reins. Her soldiers were dismounted as well. There would be no risking an overburdened beast.
"I still don't think," Felek said, "we need to leave guards with the wagons. I don't like dividing us."
"We can handle ourselves, Sir," Cyla said, hand on her sword hilt. The other three women nodded. Anelie felt proud of them. Felek chuckled.
"Oh, I'm sure you can. Just remember you are more important than the wagons."
"Once we're at the bottom setting up camp," Anelie said, looking at Klocia, "I'll send Lewy and a team up to help you bring these guys down."
"Yes, Lady." Klocia saluted. Anelie returned it. Felek turned to the others.
"OK, let's move out."
****
The going was slow. While the valley was not all that deep, the path down turned a twenty minute walk into an hour trudge. Anelie kept them single file, not quite trusting the edge of the trail. As they descended, the air cooled. It also got louder. The sound of insects began to fill their ears. Anelie could see a small inlet beside the river, ducks swimming in the calm water. Maybe they could do some hunting. Get some fresh meat for dinner.
First things first. As they neared the valley floor, Anelie looked over the area. The trail ended in a large patch of grassland, perhaps a hundred yards from the river. The river itself was not that wide, perhaps fifty yards across at the closest point. It widened farther down stream, where a patch of trees closed in on its banks.
"Mommy! Can I eat it?" Anelie looked back at Zuza. She was pointing to something on a bush beside the path. Adanya shook her head, smiling as she took Zuza's arm and lowered it.
"No, Honey. See that yellow band on its tail? Never eat anything with that band. It will make your tummy hurt. Yellow is bad. Remember that."
"Is orange OK?" James pointed to a different bush. Issa's eyes lit up.
"Oh, yes! How many wings does it have?"
"Four!"
"Oh, those are GOOD eating, James! If I was over there, you'd have to fight me for it!"
The boy's hand darted out. His sister jumped up and down.
"You got it!"
"Here. I'll split it with you." Anelie saw him snap something with his hands, giving a piece to Zuza. The two started walking again.
Anelie could not help but smile. They were good kids.
They all had been.
****
The path ended.
Felek let out a sigh of relief. They were on the valley floor. One step closer to their goal. More immediately, one step closer to a good hot meal and some sleep. He had re-learned that aspect of travel: you took your pleasure where you could.
"I want the animals unloaded!" Anelie commanded, starting on her own beast. "Leave them saddled for now! Lewy, get some food and drink in your men then head back up!"
"Are seven plus the four girls going to be enough?" Felek asked. She shrugged. "Worse comes to worst, they bring one wagon down at a time. There's time enough before nightfall for us to make two trips. We're not going anywhere else today."
He nodded. She looked around them.
"Plus, if you didn't like leaving just four up there, I like leaving us down here with fewer troops even less."
"Same here."
He walked over to Ruta. She sat on a rock, dress raised above her knees. She bent herself over, rubbing her calf muscles.
"Here, let me do that." Felek knelt down, taking her bare leg in his hands. She let out a groan of pleasure.
"Oh, god. Thank you."
"You've had it too easy, riding all this time."
"I've walked as much as you have."
He didn't argue the point. Felek dug his fingers into her muscles, extracting another groan. He'd have to remember this for later. Not, he felt, that after this adventure was over his love would be up for more travel.
That sobered him. He looked up at Ruta. She was not soft. Had never, seriously, complained. Maybe... maybe she would accompany him on his travels. He did not want to marry, then leave his wife for weeks, months at a time. He knew of some who did that. It just did not seem... right.
"Ruta." She opened her eyes, expression one of contentment.
They then shot open.
Felek whirled, rising to his feet.
A half-dozen green-skinned creatures were coming out of the trees, spears in hand.
Elves.